Inevitable Darkness

by Cassandra Lawson

  Chapter 47

  Mitchell didn’t have a shift on watch that night, so he was fast asleep when the flap to his tent opened. He sat up quickly, half-expecting to see Legion entering since he was usually the one who woke Mitchell at odd hours. His eyes widened in surprise when Abram crawled in.

  “You look surprised,” Abram remarked with a grin. “Who were you expecting?”

  “No one,” Mitchell replied. “I figured it might be Legion.”

  Abram settled in beside him. “Wouldn’t that be a little too convenient? You already told me that your cousin only shows up when he wants something, and he’s never been there to help you. What are the chances he’d drop in while you have a bunch of questions about your demon side?”

  “Not good,” Mitchell replied as he rolled to his side to face Abram. “I’m surprised you’re here.”

  “Why’s that?” Abram asked.

  “I expected you to go to your own tent,” Mitchell replied honestly.

  “After I got you off earlier, I figured we’d sleep together.” Abram paused, and when he spoke again, he sounded sheepish. “Sorry. That was a crude way to put it.”

  Mitchell waved off his apology. “It’s okay. You’re crude, and I like you that way.”

  “That’s good,” Abram replied with a soft chuckle. “I’m not good at pretending to be someone else. I desperately want to touch you.”

  “What’s stopping you?” Mitchell asked, feeling his pulse quicken and his dick stir.

  “I think it might be best to get the others used to us being together before we rub it in their faces,” Abram explained.

  “I never thought you’d worry about what others think of you,” Mitchell remarked thoughtfully. He reached out and trailed his fingers along Abram’s cheek.

  Abram caught his wrist to stop him. “Vexx was shooting me daggers when I headed in this direction after our watch, and she likes me. The others hate me, and they looked pissed when we got back earlier.”

  “They know something happened already,” Mitchell pointed out. While Abram’s vampires might not have figured it out, the shapeshifters’ sense of smell clued them in.

  “I don’t want to think about how they know,” Abram told him.

  “I never would have taken you for the prudish type,” Mitchell teased.

  “Prudish?” Abram asked with a laugh. “I’m not sure anyone’s ever accused me of being prudish and crude in the same conversation.”

  “You’re worried about what people are thinking about us fooling around at the same time as you’re talking about getting me off,” Mitchell reminded him.

  “It’s gross that the shifters can smell what we’ve been doing,” he stated.

  “We can, too,” Mitchell reminded him. “Just not as well as the shifters.”

  “I don’t like that either,” Abram replied. “Seriously, I hate everything about the heightened sense of smell. Even when I was human, I had a strong sense of smell. I hate that I can now smell when people around me are turned on or just had sex. Feral vampires are the worst. No matter how much blood I give them, they always smell like they’re rotting. Don’t even get me started on low-tide.”

  Mitchell laughed. His laughter only got louder when Abram scowled at him.

  “You’re going to have everyone wondering what I’m doing to you,” Abram told him.

  Mitchell snorted. “Are they going to come here to see if you’re tickling me? I’m laughing, not crying out in pain or ecstasy.”

  “Have you always been this big of a smartass?” Abram asked.

  “Yep,” Mitchell replied. “Are you regretting coming to my tent and being forced to deal with my smartass comments?”

  “Not even a little,” Abram replied softly. He reached out to touch Mitchell but stopped short. “We should get some sleep. Tomorrow, we have a long walk ahead of us.”

  “You’re right,” Mitchell agreed. “I hope the witches don’t turn us away.”

  “They won’t,” Abram assured him.

  “Since when are you an optimist?” Mitchell asked.

  Abram shrugged one shoulder. “I guess you’re rubbing off on me. Who knows? Maybe I’ll rub off on you some. You might become crude thanks to your time with me.”

  “Or more prudish,” Mitchell teased.

  Abram chuckled. “You’re definitely getting some of my asshole traits.”

  “Good,” Mitchell replied with a yawn. “Maybe then people will stop telling me how great I am.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” Abram replied. “Goodnight, Mitchell.”

  “Goodnight, Abram,” he replied. “I’m glad you decided to come to my tent tonight.”

  “Me too,” Abram whispered.

  Chapter 48

  Vexx was on edge and irritable as they hiked toward the coven land. They’d left Abram’s vampires behind with Zane and Lexi to guard the jeeps, so she was hoping the witches would also be willing to donate blood to both Abram and Mitchell. Between her, Jase, and Kish, they could keep them fed, but Kish was a wildcard when it came to offering blood. She’d been much less confrontational with everyone, but she hadn’t suddenly become everyone’s best friend.

  “I want to talk to my sister,” Kish announced. She stopped walking and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

  Vexx let out a frustrated sigh. She didn’t blame Kish for wanting to talk to her sister, and she even understood why she sounded so irritated. They’d tried contacting Moon four times with no luck. No one was all that surprised by how hard it was to reach her. There was one phone at the shifter settlement, and they needed to call at just the right time, or the call went unanswered. Leaving messages didn’t do much good.

  “We should try before we get too close to the coven,” Vexx agreed.

  “Why?” Abram asked. “Wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until we’re safe before we try making a phone call? We’re only a couple of hours away.”

  “The phones won’t work in the coven territory,” Vexx explained.

  “You probably should have mentioned that before,” Mitchell told her.

  She shrugged. “I didn’t think about it. I’m not used to having a phone with me when I come here, or anywhere else for that matter.”

  Mitchell nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket, and Abram was already doing the same. Both walked away from the group to make their calls.

  “I want to call my sister!” Kish shouted as she stalked after Mitchell and Abram.

  Jase caught Vexx’s hand and smiled. “I didn’t think about it either. I was a lot happier before we had a phone at our settlement.”

  “Your father wouldn’t agree,” she remarked with a smile.

  Jase chuckled. “No, he likes being able to call Elle. I still can’t believe he’s going to leave our clan for a vampire.”

  “She’s his mate,” Vexx stated, surprised that she didn’t feel the usual twinge of pain when she mentioned someone’s mate.

  “I guess I always saw my father as the guy who put his own needs behind those of his followers,” Jase admitted. “Almost dying changed him.”

  “In a good way, right?” she asked. While Vexx knew Jase didn’t wholly like his role as leader, she also knew he loved his father.

  “It’s a good thing,” Jase agreed. “It would be a better thing if I wasn’t the oldest. I’m sure this is much better for Zane than it is for me.”

  “You don’t have to run your clan,” she pointed out. “I’m sure you could find another member of your clan capable of leading.”

  “You’re right,” he agreed. “It’s not so much about me not wanting to lead. This is what I’ve always known I’d do. Granted, I didn’t expect it to happen so suddenly. Maybe I was a fool for thinking my dad would step down in stages when he was much older.”

  “So, is it the sudden change that’s the problem?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “It’s you.”

  “Me?” she asked.

  He nodded. “I’ve made no secret o
f the fact that I want you as my mate, and we both know you hate my responsible side.”

  “I don’t hate that you’re responsible,” she argued. “It’s the stick you sometimes have up your ass that bothers me.”

  Jase let out a bark of laughter before responding. “A stick up my ass? That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

  “I’m sure Zane would agree that it’s an accurate description.”

  “Yeah, he would,” Jase agreed. “Can we stop talking about the stick up my ass long enough for you to tell me what’s going on with you?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked without meeting his eyes.

  “You’ve been snapping at everyone all morning,” he pointed out. “When I offered you some of my jerky, I was sure you were going to bite my head off.”

  “I’m tired of jerky,” she complained. “We should be able to hunt on this trip. I’d kill for a tasty rabbit.”

  “I’d love to hunt with you,” he murmured as he brushed her hair back from her face. “But we can’t do that now.”

  “I know,” she agreed with a sigh. “It’s not easy for me to stay in human form this long. I can’t change this close to the coven land, but I really want to. If we ran into one of the witches, it would ruin our chances of getting any help from them.”

  “They aren’t very accepting of you, are they?” Jase studied her carefully as he waited for her response.

  “No, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I’ve never been too tempted to leave my clan,” she explained. “There was a short time while I was hiding from you that I considered it, but even then, I wasn’t all that serious.

  “I guess the witches are elitists,” he remarked.

  She shook her head. “That’s not it. The witches don’t think they’re better than others.”

  “Then what is it?” he asked. “If you can’t be yourself around them, it certainly sounds like they think they’re better. At the very least, it sounds like they aren’t accepting of differences.”

  “My mother was special.” Vexx paused as she tried to think of the best way to explain her mom. “Everyone loved her, but she wandered a lot. Witches like to wander, but not as far or as often as my mom. Witches need to be around other witches to feel safe. With my mom, she’d disappear for months at a time even before she met my dad. It’s a miracle she didn’t have children with other men. Seeing me in cougar form is a reminder that I’m not one of them, and that I’ll always leave them like my mom did. They don’t want me to leave. They wouldn’t mind if I went off for a month or even two, but it’s often years between visits.”

  “If they want you to stay so badly, then why do you feel like you don’t belong?” he asked. “I figured it was because they made you feel unwelcome, but there’s more to it. Is it just that you don’t feel you can change forms when you’re there?”

  “They’ve accused me of having a stick up my ass and trying to pressure them all into being more responsible several times,” she explained.

  Jase laughed so hard he had to lean against a tree for support.

  “It’s not that funny,” she insisted with a frown.

  Jase was out of breath by the time he got his laughter under control enough to respond. “It really is. The witches think you’re too uptight and responsible. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

  “Pretty much,” she agreed with twitching lips. “They think of me the same way I think of you.”

  “Except that they don’t want to see you naked,” he pointed out.

  “Some of them do,” she shot back.

  “There are men in your coven who want to see you naked?” Jase asked with narrowed eyes. “Are they going to be a problem?”

  Vexx laughed at his jealousy. “You’re an idiot.”

  “Why?” he asked. “I’m a male shapeshifter. We get jealous and possessive when it comes to our mates.”

  “First, I’m not your mate,” she reminded him. “Don’t even think about arguing with me on this point. You already know I’m not your mate.”

  “But you will be,” he stated.

  She rolled her eyes at his arrogance, even though she secretly liked it a lot. “I’m not encouraging your behavior. Let’s add it to the list of reasons you’re an idiot.”

  “That’s right. You were telling me all the reasons I’m an idiot. Please, continue,” he prompted.

  “I’m not going into all the reasons,” she replied. “That would take too much time. I’m going into the reasons you’re an idiot for being jealous. We covered me not being your mate. It’s also ridiculous for you to be jealous of the those who come on to me within the coven. It’s nothing romantic. Witches are passionate. Oh, and you’re an idiot for thinking it’s men.”

  “I’m sure Zane would find that idea hot,” Jase told her. “I’m not like him. You know, I never expected to feel jealous like this. It’s crazy. Sometimes, I wonder if there’s something wrong with me. I don’t own you, and even after I mark you, I won’t own you.”

  “I haven’t agreed to let you mark me yet,” she reminded him.

  “You will,” he insisted. “I hope I don’t always feel this way. You’ll get pissed if I act like some jealous asshole every time someone flirts with you, and I’m sure it’ll happen. You’re not only beautiful, you’re fun and strong.”

  She waved off his worry as she looked away to hide the blush brought on by his compliment. “If I let you mark me, your hormones will settle down. I’ve seen this happen with other males before they mark their mate—not that I agree I’m your mate.”

  “Come on, Vexx,” he coaxed. “You came to my tent for a reason last night.”

  She let out a sigh. “Fine. I’m your mate. Are you happy?”

  Jase grinned as he caught her in his arms and pulled her against his chest. “Does this mean you’re going to let me mark you?”

  “This isn’t the time,” she insisted.

  “Not now,” he told her as he leaned in and nipped her collarbone. “I meant when we have some time alone.”

  “I’m afraid,” she confessed.

  Jase pulled back slightly to study her face. “Why are you afraid?”

  “I still have nightmares about being marked,” she whispered.

  Jase’s face softened as he pulled her against his chest and hugged her. “I’m sorry, Vexx. I should have thought about what happened before.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she insisted.

  “Yes, it is,” he argued. “I should have realized how that affected you. If that bastard wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him.”

  “It’s okay,” she insisted. “Really, it is. I’ve just never talked about it before.”

  “Not even with Winter and Mitchell?” he asked with a frown.

  “Not even with them,” she admitted.

  “Do you want to talk about what happened?” he asked.

  “No,” she replied before sighing. “I guess you need to know how this is impacting me if we’re going to do this marking thing.”

  “Marking thing?” he asked. “Yes, I’m going to mark you, but no, I’m not going to force you like you were before. Vexx, I am sorry that I didn’t even consider that this might be bothering you when I was talking about marking you. Now, I feel like a complete dick.”

  “I already told you it’s okay,” she insisted. “I just wanted you to know that I’m a little afraid. It’s part of the reason why, even though I didn’t mind going to your tent, I’m afraid to take the next step.”

  “We have all the time in the world,” he assured her.

  “You don’t really feel that way,” she argued.

  “I do, and I don’t,” he replied. “That sounds crazy, but it’s the truth. Part of me wants to mark you now because I’m afraid of losing the opportunity. That’s my hang-up from what happened before. Your feelings matter more in this case. I can survive without marking you today. We’ll do this the right way. I promise I won’t do anything to take your power away from you like that bastard did.�
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  Vexx felt tears burn the backs of her eyes as she hugged Jase. “You are incredible for an idiot with a stick up his ass.”

  Jase laughed as he held her close, and Vexx felt safer than she had in many months.

  Chapter 49

  “Why won’t they answer?” Kish muttered as she paced the small clearing. There wasn’t much room where they’d stopped, allowing her to walk five steps before turning around. She was beginning to make Abram dizzy.

  Abram was trying to get in touch with Kishara’s sister. He’d called Cord twice before calling to see if Connor could reach him. Connor had told him he didn’t have time to talk and ended the call after telling him to call Simon for help. He didn’t have Simon’s number, so he needed to wait until Mitchell was off his call. He’d also tried Cord’s number three more times, still not getting an answer.

  Abram smiled when he saw the tender way Mitchell talked to the little girl. It made Abram miss his own sister. They hadn’t spent too much time together, but all of his memories of her were good. She’d been one of the few people who’d teased him and treated him like he wasn’t broken. She and his mom lived on the old island settlement. Few knew of their relationship to him. At first, he’d worried people would learn their identities and treat them poorly. He didn’t want them to pay for his mistakes, so he stayed away.

  “Why aren’t you making more calls?” Kish demanded.

  “I don’t have anyone else to call,” Abram admitted. “Pretty much everyone hates me, so it’s not easy getting anyone to answer my call.”

  Kish glared at Mitchell as he ended the call. “Did you have a nice chat with your sister?”

  “Don’t start with me, Kish,” Mitchell warned. “I’m not in the mood for one of your drama filled scenes.”

  Kish huffed in response.

  So much for her being nice. Abram hadn’t expected it to last long. He never kept his asshole side toned down for long. He’d done better around Mitchell than others, but Kish was pushing every button he had.

  “Boo-fucking-hoo,” Abram snapped at her. “You haven’t talked to your sister in a few days. That must suck. Try having to pretend she doesn’t exist to keep her safe and then tell me how you feel.” When he saw Mitchell’s face, he cursed under his breath. He hadn’t meant to reveal that much about himself. “Don’t ever mention that to anyone.”